Harrison Ford to Play 1920's Wyatt Earp

Harrison Ford's trigger finger is itching for another gunslinger after his Cowboys & Aliens debut. The actor's next western isn't one that takes place in the dusty deserts of the American landscape, however. Ford wants to sign on to Black Hats as Wyatt Earp – who earned his notoriety from the 1881 gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. What separates this Earp tale from the dozens of others put to screen? The story takes place in New York City during the 1920s, with Earp as an experienced private eye chasing a mobster.

Ford will play an older Earp, living as a private detective and movie consultant in L.A. He eventually teams up with Bat Masterson – his former Deputy Marshal, who is now a sportswriter in Prohibition-era New York City – to save Doc Holliday's son from Al Capone. Kurt Johnstad (300, Man of Steel) will be penning the script, but no director has been attached to lead the project just yet. THR reports that Ford is ready to roll on Black Hats – which is already a huge accomplishment for the team since the actor is known to be pretty cranky picky about his roles.

Black Hats is an adaptation of Max Allan Collins' 2007 novel – published under the pseudonym Patrick Culhane. Collins also wrote the graphic novel that was later turned into Sam Mendes' striking film Road to Perdition – another gangster tale from the same time period. So far, all the proper pieces seem to be in place. Chime in if you've read the book and can see Ford settling comfortably into the role of a 70-year-old PI. What other elements are needed to make this a successful page-to-screen translation?

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